Cited by 18Lipid metabolism and disordersLipoproteins and Cardiovascular HealthDiabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins

Safety and efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides on triglyceride, apolipoprotein C-III, and other lipid parameters levels in hypertriglyceridemia; a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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Mahmoud, Abdelrahman, Abdelsayed, Kerollos, Mohamed, Ahmed Almahdy, Najah, Qasi, Abdulkader, Anas, Ali, Karim, Tabassum, Shehroze, Abouzid, Mohamed Riad +2 more·2025·Lipids in Health and Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In previous trials, apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3) inhibition through the antisense oligonucleotides volanesorsen, olezarsen, and plozasiran reduced triglyceride levels. However, the three medications' safety and efficacy have yet to be compared. METHODS: A network meta-analysis was performed to compare multiple doses of the three medications to each other through the placebo. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Cochrane until November 22nd, 2024. The mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for continuous outcomes. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI were used for dichotomous outcomes. RESULTS: Ten RCTs with a total of 1,129 patients were included. volanesorsen 300 mg once weekly showed the most significant percent reduction in triglyceride levels (MD = -91.0%, 95% CI: (-109.2%; -72.8%); P < 0.01). Only plozasiran once monthly, regardless of the dose, showed a non-significant percent reduction in triglycerides. This finding should be taken cautiously as the data were derived from a phase 1 trial with a small sample size. All the regimens significantly reduced APOC3 levels compared to placebo, with plozasiran 100 mg monthly and volanesorsen 300 mg once weekly showing the most significant reduction (MD range: -92.8% to -88.5%; P < 0.01). None of the treatments showed a statistically significant difference in overall adverse events rate compared to the placebo. CONCLUSION: APOC3 antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors effectively reduced triglyceride and APOC3 levels in hypertriglyceridemia with an acceptable safety profile. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the small sample size. Further research is needed to confirm the beneficial effects of APOC3 inhibitors and show strong evidence of the impact of each regimen.

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  • ASO studies targeting APOC3 showed similar TG-lowering effects with dose-dependent safety considerations.

    “ASO studies targeting APOC3 showed similar TG-lowering effects with dose-dependent safety considerations (Mahmoud et al., 2025).”

    From Efficacy and safety of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies for hypertriglyceridemia and mixed dyslipidemia: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis (2026) · cites this paper as Mahmoud et al., 2025

    The Results (Efficacy outcomes; page unavailable) report triglyceride reductions with several APOC3-targeting ASOs, but not similar effects across regimens: volanesorsen 300 mg weekly had the largest reported reduction, and some plozasiran regimens were not statistically significant. The Results (Safety outcomes; page unavailable) and Conclusion associate higher-dose volanesorsen with injection-site reactions and thrombocytopenia, supporting dose-related safety considerations for that drug, not necessarily for all the ASOs studied. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  1. [33]Covidence. Covidence - Better systematic review management [Internet]. Covidence. 2024. https://www.covidence.org/

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Authors
Mahmoud, A., Abdelsayed, K., Mohamed, A. A., Najah, Q., Abdulkader, A., Ali, K., Tabassum, S., Abouzid, M. R., Abdelazeem, B., & Mills, J. D.
Affiliations
  • Minia University (EG)
  • Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation (EG)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • University Elmergib (LY)
  • Almaarefa University (SA)
  • Hennepin County Medical Center (US)
  • King Edward Medical University (PK)
  • West Virginia University (US)
Corresponding author
Abdelsayed, Kerollos
Venue
Lipids in Health and Disease
Published
2025-03-22
Volume
24
Issue
1
Pages
109-109
ISSN
1476-511X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4408706982
Cited by
17
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 6
FWCI
3.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Lipids in Health and Disease (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Lipid metabolism and disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
Keywords
hypertriglyceridemia, antisense oligonucleotides, apolipoprotein C-III, volanesorsen, olezarsen, plozasiran, triglyceride lowering, lipid-lowering therapy, drug safety, cardiovascular risk
MeSH terms
Network Meta-Analysis as Topic, Humans, Oligonucleotides, Triglycerides, Hypertriglyceridemia, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Oligonucleotides, Antisense, Treatment Outcome, Apolipoprotein C-III

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